The Danville News

Robert John Andrews

June 25, 2026

“Success”

Word Count: 750

 

My wife is a deep and decent person, far wiser.  Surely wiser than me, as I’ve discovered over our 51 married years.  When she was expecting our first child, only a few years ago, she shared what kind of life she hoped for our children.  What did she hope for?  She hoped her children would grow up to be good people.

 

What’s your concept of success?

 

Let’s face it, it wasn’t as if my Jesus was a stellar success.  We don’t even know if he was a competent carpenter or decent contractor.  Think about it.  He could have been a success and gone into the family business.  But no, he had to go and get crucified.

 

Success and failure:  rather depends on your metrics, on how you define failure and success.  I guess you could call someone with plenty of money successful if the Dow Jones is your measure of success.  Maybe.  Or you could possibly call Mother Teresa more successful.   What’s your yardstick?

 

If you have been successful, what do you attribute for your success?   Fate?  Ability?  Luck?  Superior intellect?  Privileged background?  Daddy’s money?  A reptilian sense of survival?  Morally pure?  Perseverance?  Early to bed, early to rise?  Is it because you are the favored one, you successful, all others losers. 

 

We have a slanted notion of winner and losers.  Either you’re successful or you’re a loser.  Really? 

 

Years ago I enjoyed a radio interview with one of my favorite writers, journalist Studs Terkel, who had just published his epic work, titled, “Working.”  It’s a collection of interviews with folks about their work. 

 

I especially appreciated how Terkel asks in his book who really built the pyramids?  Was it really that guy Cheops?  Was it really the Pharaoh?  No, those laborers chipping and dragging the stones built the pyramids.   He described how the fellows building a New York City skyscraper etched their names inside the very top of the skyscraper.  We built this!

 

Studs then talked about a scene from a movie that was popular in 1970, called “Five Easy Pieces.”  He said:  “I forget the exact scene, but the key fellow in the movie, played by Jack Nicholson, goes to a diner for breakfast.  He wants a substitute from the menu. There's no substitute.”  The movie plays up the waitress as the rude character.  Nicholson’s character ends up insulting her and sweeping all the glasses off the table o to the floor.  What bothered Studs was how kids in the audience seeing this cheered.  Disrespect.  I saw the movie too and was annoyed at how the audience snickered in contempt.  Studs’ reaction?  “You little so and so, you don't even know who this waitress is. This is set up. Is she tired? How are her varicose veins? … Why is she a waitress? Husband left her? He's dead?  He's sick? Kids in trouble? H ow tired is she? Did she have a fight with the chef just then behind the doors? They know nothing about her. They cheered when he was showing her up. I was so furious about that because it tells those kids these people who work aren't much.”

 

We do we waste so much energy and expense when we could do so much better.  What is all of this meant to be?  We get an answer from the first chapter of Genesis.  Please be mindful how Genesis is a theological work, not an historical nor scientific thesis.  That frees us from cul-de-sac debates.  My church confirmation class once asked:  “Why did God create the world?” which is a far wiser question than asking “When or how?”

 

The modern authors of Genesis weren’t writing how the material world came to be.   They wrote why and what for?  That’s the job of theologians.  Scientists explain the how, but the job of theologians, Bible people, is to discover and relate what is the meaning of life and what are meant to do and be, especially considering what nuts we are and what messes we get ourselves into.  Another fine mess, Stanley.

 

The word repeated is “good.”  ‘Tov ‘in Hebrew.  A creation that is good.  Relationships meant to be good.  In Hebrew, ‘Tov,’ because God is good and fills the world with God’s practical and moral and kindly and purposeful goodness.

 

Imagine if our diet depended on being fed not by steak and eggs, broccoli and apples, but nourished by actions, by creativity, by words and deeds that are good and true and beautiful.  Would we thrive or starve?